KUALA TERENGGANU: A senior assistant fire superintendent has been ordered to serve three years in jail and pay a fine of RM172,000 after he was found guilty of abuse of power.
Mohd Roslan Zakaria, 41, was convicted by the Sessions Court on three counts of power abuse for proposing that his family’s companies undertake supply work valued at RM32,540.
Sessions judge Dazuki Ali meted out the punishment after ruling that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to the charges, Mohd Roslan, as a civil servant, was accused of abusing his position by proposing a quotation from his mother-in-law’s company, Pak Su Global Enterprise, for supply work involving 60 units of antennas and 30 units of charger spare parts, valued at RM8,100.
The father of three was also charged with the same offence for proposing two quotations from his brother-in-law’s company Muazzam Global Enterprise: one for the supply of 31 units of Compas Orienting valued at RM7,440, and another for 10 units of lifejackets and 20 units of wet suits worth RM17,000.
He was charged with committing the offences at the Eastern Region Malaysian Fire and Rescue Academy in Marang, in July and November 2016.
The charges were framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same law, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Dazuki sentenced Mohd Roslan to two years in prison and a fine of RM42,000 for the first charge, two years in prison and a fine of RM40,000 for the second charge, and three years in prison and a fine of RM90,000 for the third charge.
The court also ordered that the accused to serve an additional two years in prison if he fails to pay the fines, Bernama reported.
The judge also ordered that the prison sentences run concurrently, starting today.
He granted a stay of execution pending an appeal at the High Court, while the suspension of the fines was not permitted.